Metro ExpressLanes and Carpooling: The Facts, the Benefits and More

(Those of you that follow Streetsblog on Twitter may have noticed the ExpressLanes team at Metro were less than thrilled with our article on the concerns some have with the transponder requirement to access ExpressLanes. We invited them to write a response and Stephanie Wiggins, Executive Officer for the Congestion Reduction Demonstration Initiative, responded. – D)

So, what happens to carpools when toll operations begin on the 110 Harbor Freeway (between Adams Boulevard and the 91 Freeway) on Nov. 10 and on the 10 San Bernardino Freeway (between Alameda Street and the 605) next year? This has been a topic of discussion lately on social media and a few blogs. What we are hearing is some carpoolers don’t understand the rules for carpools when tolling starts. Some are concerned they will have to pay a $40 pre-paid toll deposit, and that “casual” carpoolers who don’t travel these freeways frequently will be forced to use the general purpose lanes because they don’t have the required transponder. Finally, others simply say the ExpressLanes won’t improve the flow of traffic, and that the ExpressLanes may actually discourage carpoolers.

We understand those concerns and want to keep the dialogue going. First, we must point out that we are implementing this multi-faceted ExpressLanes program because we believe it will reduce traffic congestions and improve your commute.

It will do this by increasing travel options with more buses, vanpools, expanded transit stations and more. It also will maximize freeway capacity on heavily traveled sections of the 110 and 10 by converting the carpool lanes to High Occupancy Toll (HOT) lanes. The HOT lanes allow solo drivers (and two-person carpools on the 10 during rush hours) to use the ExpressLanes for a toll.

To avoid backups in the Metro ExpressLanes, sensors are deployed that measure congestion and adjust the tolls, increasing the toll from 25 cents a mile up to a maximum of $1.40 a mile as more vehicles enter the Metro ExpressLanes.

As we prepare for the launch of the tolling program, we are going to be flexible enough to make adjustments once it begins and throughout the one-year pilot period.

Let’s start by laying out the facts related to carpools:

Fact 1: When tolling starts, carpoolers can still travel toll-free under the same rules for those freeways that are in place now (see details below). The difference is that carpool drivers must open a prepaid FasTrak® account to receive a transponder and mount that transponder in their vehicles.

Fact 2: The $3 monthly maintenance fee for the Metro ExpressLanes FasTrak® account will be waived if the account holder makes at least four one-way trips. These can be toll-free or paid trips and/or rides on transit in the corridor. The $3 monthly maintenance fee is automatically waived for those customers who qualify for the Metro ExpressLanes Equity Plan.

Fact 3:Enforcement, flexibility, and performance monitoring are the key reasons for the transponder requirement for all. Currently, the violation rates on the existing carpool lanes are as high as 10%. There is no way to enforce the toll requirements on the ExpressLanes without everyone playing by the same rules. In other words, if we allowed only carpoolers to have free transponders and no monthly fees, here is what would likely happen: Some people would declare that they carpool – given that there is no way for the Metro Program to distinguish whether they are driving a carpool prior to their actual trip. Also, people using other toll facilities in Southern California (all these projects use FasTrak®, like ExpressLanes) could cancel their accounts and sign up for a no monthly fee account with Metro, which would mean more maintenance costs for Metro without any revenues from those accounts.The FasTrak® requirement for all vehicles on the ExpressLanes will help us maintain traffic flow and accountability during the evaluation process.

To benefit carpoolers, we are offering the Carpool Loyalty Program, the first of its kind in the country, which will reward carpoolers and vanpoolers for taking Metro ExpressLanes by entering them into drawings for free gas cards each month that they use Metro ExpressLanes. We are implementing the Carpool Loyalty Program in response to focus groups and surveys in which carpoolers said they wanted a non-toll incentive for using the ExpressLanes.

The conversion of carpool lanes to High Occupancy Toll (HOT) lanes is new to Los Angeles, so it’s important to put it all in perspective. In addition to reducing traffic congestion, this program will provide sustainable and environmentally-friendly transportation solutions. Some program features include:

59 new clean-fuel buses and operating subsidies for the one-year demonstration period for the Silver Line, Foothill Transit, Gardena Transit and Torrance Transit. Since the ExpressLanes-funded Silver Line Bus Rapid Transit service began in June 2011, ridership on the 110 Harbor Transitway has increased by more than 60%.

100 New Metro Vanpools;

El Monte Station Expansion and a new Transit Station at Patsaouras Plaza;

Harbor Transitway Park & Ride Upgrades;

Metrolink Pomona Station Expansion;

Transit Signal Priority Expanded in Downtown LA;

New bicycle lockers at the Harbor Gateway Transit Center & bicycle station at El Monte Station;

Our research shows that 80% of current carpoolers would continue to carpool after the FasTrak® requirement goes into effect so they can avoid paying the toll or being forced back into the general purpose lanes when their carpool partner is not available. Our initial statistics bear that out with almost 35% of the people opening new FasTrak® accounts indicating they are carpoolers. Those who don’t use the ExpressLanes may be happy to find the regular lanes flow faster than they did before ExpressLanes. Others will likely begin using the expanded transit opportunities.

Our program also is environmentally friendly. The Metro ExpressLanes will reduce air pollution and greenhouse gases equivalent to:

Removal of 12,593 passenger vehicles per year

7.1 million less gallons of gasoline consumed per year

149,285 less barrels of oil consumed per year

Reduction in electricity use of 7,994 homes per year or

Reduction in energy use of 5,585 homes per year

State law requires a performance report to the Legislature by December 2014, which includes any reductions in greenhouse gas emissions attributable to Metro ExpressLanes, as well as the demonstration project’s impact on carpool usage.

Another first-in-the country ExpressLanes feature is the Equity Plan that provides qualified low-income commuters both a $25 toll credit to go toward either the transponder or the pre-paid toll deposit and the automatic waiver of the monthly $3 account maintenance fee.

Where will the money go that is raised from the tolls? It will be reinvested in the corridor’s transit and carpool facilities. The money will stay right there, helping your commute now and in the future.

So, back to carpooling. Here are some details.

On the 110, vehicles with two or more occupants will be able to use the ExpressLanes toll-free 24 hours a day.

On the 10, which currently has a requirement of three or more people during rush hour in the carpool lanes, the ExpressLanes will allow two-person carpools the choice of accessing the HOT lanes for a toll when tolling begins next year. Vehicles with two occupants will need to pay a toll during peak hours (5 a.m.- 9 a.m. and 4 p.m. – 7 p.m.). They will have toll-free use during off-peak hours. Vehicles with three or more occupants will be able to use the ExpressLanes toll-free at all hours.

On both the 110 and 10, solo drivers will have the option to use Metro ExpressLanes for a toll.

A Metro ExpressLanes transponder will be needed to travel in the 110 and 10 ExpressLanes to receive the toll-free discount. The Metro ExpressLanes FasTrak® account and transponder can also be used to electronically pay tolls on all toll facilities in California (i.e. Orange County, San Diego County and the San Francisco-Oakland Bay Area).

We hope this helps clarify information on the carpool portion of ExpressLanes. We encourage people to keep the conversation going on Facebook and Twitter.

I’d wish that the account fee would be waived with four trips on any toll facility using the FasTrack. I’m fine with the $40 deposit account… it’s the fee that gets me. As an infrequent user (who already had an account and uses the OC toll roads regularly), I may or may not make 4 trips on the 110. But I’d like to have that option… especially when I’m carpooling. If my trips on the 73 in OC could also count towards that fee waiver, it’s be a much more appealing idea.

Juan Matute

I am a huge proponent of congestion pricing, and I’m already finding the transponder pricing scheme difficult for the occasional trips I might take. I’m hoping there won’t be a backlash, but I think there’s a high probability that there will be.

Maybe the public will be more forgiving if in a year or so, Metro says “OK, we heard you. We’re coming up with new options for occasional use.” Those options might be:

1. Plate recognition linked to a virtual FastTrak account, with a plate recognition surcharge on top of regular tolls. This method would assume that the vehicle pays the toll.
2. Provide free transponders, but add a surcharge to the toll for vehicles that use this payment plan. Don’t charge a maintenance fee but rather an inactivity fee after 6 months or so to reduce the number of long-term unused transponders.

Metro’s getting in the business of selling market-priced consumer services. Choice is key.

Of course, if there were more congestion priced roads in other areas of the county, then the $3/mo fee would be less significant for those who only occasionally use the 105/110. An extensive county-wide or regional HOT network may also be able to absorb the monthly transponder fee because of higher overall revenues.

Eric B

The excuse on the $3 fee is simply BS. No other agency that uses FasTrak charges such a fee, so the idea that everyone throughout the state will suddenly rush to obtain a Metro transponder doesn’t make sense.

The long-term goal for congestion pricing is to get a transponder in every car. Achieving technology penetration requires removing barriers to that goal. This $3 fee is the difference between my getting a transponder for my occasional use of the 110/10 corridors and not. Period.

http://stopandmove.blogspot.com/ Jass

Metro completely doesnt get it.

There are benefits. Great. Heres the thing, you can have all those benefits AND continue to allow free (actually free, for anyone) carpooling by doing what they do in the bay area, where carpool people can drive into the lane on the honor system, with a cop posted to nab those who dont have a transponder AND arent a car pool.

Dudeinho

i drive that 110 everyday i can tell you for a fact that idea wont work, i see so many single drivers in thae carpool lanes and always wonder where the heck is the CHP to suggest the honor system is and take no offense stupid.

MarkB

Regarding the account maintenance charge: It doesn’t have to be this way, but Metro chose it to be this way because it put its own interests first. As a result, the casual carpooler is caught in the paradox of paying for lanes if he doesn’t use them but not paying for lanes if he does. As for myself, I’m a motorcycle rider so I get “free” access 24/7 but don’t always generate 4 trips per month. Why does a motorcycle need a transponder at all? It’s not like a bike will be mistaken for an Escalade with a single occupant!

Just like TAP, Metro is making things unnecessarily complicated. The quesiton should always be, “How can we make it easier for people to use our services?” and not “How can we make it easier for us to deliver services to people?” Those are very different questions that lead to very different answers.

Gunner

So when a single driver is in the fastrak and switches the transponder to “3”, what is the enforcement going to be? I fail to recognize how a cheater will do any less cheating when in all likelihood, having mandatory transponders will switch the focus from catching cheaters to catching people who don’t have transponders, without regard for whether they are carpooling or not.

Without an increase in the gas tax, governments have to charge tolls to pay for roads. This mandatory transponder program seems like a way to discourage carpooling so as to leave more capacity for paying drivers. Sorry occasional carpoolers, keeping you out of the HOT line is the goal.

http://la.streetsblog.org Damien Newton

Thank you to everyone who pointed out the issue with the HTML. It is fixed now.

PC

As with TAP, as with the turnstiles, Metro displays an astounding talent for making things frustrating and unattractive at great expense.

Roadblock

The explanation of how to use this thing is TLDR.

Roadblock

Nevermind, just read up to the point where there will be monthly contests for free gas cards. haha oh man…

Roadblock

Basically, it’s like a lot of people predicted when car pool lanes were introduced decades ago… that it would eventually become a toll lane. Hopefully the toll lanes will relieve some of the gads of money being stolen from the general fund to subsidize roads made exclusively for car travel.

calwatch

Well they have the beacon lights which are supposed to tell CHP what was the self declared value, and allow CHP to verify the self declared amount. My main concern with the I-10 lanes, especially, is that this is a substandard design where there is almost no space to pull anyone over. CHP would then direct people to exit the freeway via intercom, which would delay further enforcement. The other trick would be if the toll readers and the beacons were in different locations, to flip the switch at the beacon to record a non-carpool, while under the toll reader it would record as carpool.

The buried lede is that they backdoored an extra lane on the 10 freeway. I drive the 10 most weekdays and I saw vehicles use that emergency breakdown lane. Take that away and you introduce more volatility to the freeway, and more volatility to the Silver Line, which already is late 23.4% of the time, 150% that of the Orange Line and four percentage points above the system average.

calwatch

Indeed motorcyclists already straddle the double yellow line most mornings. With the Express Lanes and the obvious toll reader locations they will just swerve over to straddle the one and two regular lanes, and swerve back. Another obstacle I have to dodge on my morning drive. At the very least, this requirement needs to go.

calwatch

I drive the 10 and most days I see CHP cruising down the I-10 lanes and pulling people over. There are several spots where they are popularly located at, and once you see them it is too late to merge back. Because of this I wouldn’t risk it on the 10.

calwatch

On this Stephanie is correct. All SoCal agencies charge special fees. The Bay Area doesn’t because they can absorb the costs through savings in the existing budget from laying off toll collectors. As a new system, they have to fund this somewhere. I would like to see them do the transit component, though, and wonder about the fights there. I think that component is ham-handed.

Antisheep.

Didn’t we pay for these freeways with our tax dollars already? And don’t we as Californians continue to pay with the highest gas taxes in the country for these roads. I was on this freeway last night with a full care “a two seat mini pick up.” And stuck in overly congested traffic. There is no viable alternative transportation in place for most Angelino’s to use if there were we’d be on it already because the 110 is no picnic. This is class traffic. Most of the people who work in down town coming from all those poorer neighborhoods along the 110 will now gaze on the carpool lanes the used to use like Oliver twist in to a bakery window. And to top it off the mayors rubber stamp city council fast tracked Farmers field major league football stadium to add to an already over congested situation.
The mayor and city council have pushed this city to the brink of bankruptcy and this is clearly them making a money grab. Way to serve the public jerks.

Joe B

Why does the transponder rollout remind me of the botched TAP rollout?

Metro, what are the enforcement measures for catching those who drive solo in the toll lane with their transponder set to the “carpool” setting? And why couldn’t these enforcement measures simply treat a vehicle without a transponder the same as a vehicle with a transponder set to “carpool”? In both cases, the enforcement action should be the same: issue a citation if the driver is solo, otherwise let the driver through.

I am an occasional user of carpool lanes. Most of the time I bike or take the bus/train. I do not make 4 trips per month on the 10, and I will not be paying the $40 + $3/month for a transponder. Under your proposed scheme, if I occasionally carpool in the HOT lane, I will be issued a citation, correct? DISCOURAGING OCCASIONAL CARPOOLING THIS WAY IS A FANTASTICALLY STUPID IDEA. IT IS ALMOST AS STUPID AN IDEA AS YOUR INITIAL DECISION TO NOT SELL TAP CARDS ON BUSES. NO, WAIT, IT’S STUPIDER.

Ahem.

Lastly, in the face of your decision to discourage occasional carpooling, this seems really minor, but I’ll ask anyways. Why did you decide to make the switch order be (from the left) 2-people, 1-person, 3-people? Isn’t 1-2-3 more intuitive than 2-1-3? Do you really want to waste time issuing citations to older drivers who can’t find their reading glasses?

Erik Griswold

2 corrections that I think Metro Express Lanes ought to make:
1) Stop calling this an HOT project. HOT projects remain free-to-access-unhindered carpool lanes but let solo drivers buy in for a price. This project is an Express Toll Lane, since it has very limited access points and requires the transponder of carpools, regardless of how cheap it may be. A transponder is still required in advance which means these lanes really aren’t a part of the Interstate and Defense Highway System and ought to be relabled thus.

2) “The $3 monthly maintenance fee for the Metro ExpressLanes FasTrak® account will be waived if the account holder makes at least four one-way trips. These can be toll-free or paid trips and/or rides on transit in the corridor. ” This part of the program has not really been promoted, nor has it been explained how one links one’s TAP card. Does this include travel on non LACMTA buses which use TAP and the ExpressLanes such as Gardena or Foothill Transit? And of course it does not include Metrolink because SCRRA clearly does not trust the TAP accounting and clearing-house policies. Why are commuters made to suffer because of bureaucratic incompetence (the entire TAP program for the last 10 years) and why could there not be a way for Metrolink customers to submit their tickets and passes after the fact to have their transponder fees refunded?

Frankly, I am glad that this is only a one year demonstration, and hope that when it is over, the El Monte Busway can be returned to its original use (not for cars) while space could be made for a double-tracking of the Metrolink San Bernardino Line between Cal State Los Angeles and the El Monte Bus Station (adjacent to which the El Monte Metrolink station ought to be located for connections) to help move people, not burn fossil fuels and waste rubber.

Erik Griswold

Actually, what is currently the San Bernardino Freeway HOV lanes was built as the El Monte Busway, with transit (UMTA/FTA) funds. So it wasn’t paid for by car-addicts, but has been gradually opened up to them by whiney politicians who know nothing of traffic capacity engnieering, and it showed in the case of the El Monte Busway, ask Hilda Solis.http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/El_Monte_Busway

So get out of my bus’ Right of Way and keep to your own side of the yellow line, you leeches!

(And you wonder why many of us are suspicious of BRT?)

Erik Griswold

Interestingly, the original FasTrak transponders used on the TCA roads were walkman-sized boxes that accepted a chipped smart card. I wonder if Metro could look into a unit that would accept a TAP card to allow easier combined tracking of transit and Express Lanes use. This would also open the lanes up to those who wish to pay cash.

http://stopandmove.blogspot.com/ Jass

@38326537c794b05160d3cc4c5c9400e1:disqus What the bay area does is post a motorcycle cop at the entrance of the lane. When a car goes by without paying, they see a red light, telling the cop to go pull them over. The fines make up for the salary

http://stopandmove.blogspot.com/ Jass

@calwatch:disqus Adsorb costs? Uh, theyre charging a toll when there was none, how about that adsorb the cost?

if they put up a traditional toll booth with staff, they wouldnt charge a “human fee” to pay the salaries on top of the toll.

Chris Rider

Here’s my thinking, someone at Metro is really really excited about the “switchable transponder” If you listen close you’ll hear it touted as first of it’s kind, lots of cool stuff.

Someone fell in love with the technology and built the entire project around it, without any regard for it’s repercussions.

Basically it’s a 1 year demonstration project. It will fail, but we’ll have gotten a lot of great infrastructure changes done with money New York turned down.

Erik Griswold

Let’s be very clear who’s idea this was and which President he worked for:

I thought I liked the idea of the transponder. I went out and got mine today, $32 for $40 of credit from my local AAA office. I walked out happy.

Then I opened the package, and read the fine print.

I’m an occasional carpooler on the El Monte Busway (maybe once or twice a month) and this hits me right where it hurts. I knew about the $3 “account maintenance fee” beforehand, but I was told by an Express Lanes representative that this would be waived with a minimum of 4 TAP card rides. No problem, as I ride Metro buses many times per month, and I thought this was a great way to encourage transit riders to do their thing.

But here’s the problem– the fine print says that only TAP rides on the Express Lane buses qualify!

Suddenly, as a casual carpooler, I’m back to square one. I’m returning my transponder and getting my deposit back. Of course I can’t do this at my local Metro office at Wilshire/La Brea– I’ve got to go to Gardena. But whatever.

To give people perspective, I come from the northeast, which has a long history of toll roads and turnpikes. They implemented the “EZ Pass” transponder in my home state a couple of decades ago (an an option alongside manned tollbooths) and it got me wondering, what are the fees associated with this system?

Strange idea, I don’t get it, why why why, why do you want to cause more traffic? Your taking a simple idea and making it so murky.

Cwood520

i do not see how this will benefit me or traffic in los angeles, bad idea all the way around.

http://www.facebook.com/bobatkinshb Bob Atkins

The requirement to have a transponder for carpool use is the most egregious part of the program and completely ignores occasional carpool users and the fact that Los Angeles has and depends on a lot of tourism. Visitors can no longer use the 110 and 10 HOV lanes since they won’t EVER have a transponder. If they don’t understand how the express lane works they would likely end up with (one or more) tickets that would be passed onto them by the car rental company. Nothing like getting home to several hundred dollars in fines – lets make LA an even more inviting place to visit.

Marionortiz29

thats absurd !!!!!!!!!!1 o.0

http://twitter.com/LunaticFringeLA AssHat

Fact #1, I will never use your BS system unless you can guarantee 100% that I will never receive a violation by mistake.

http://twitter.com/LunaticFringeLA AssHat

Erik, do you really think Metro is that smart?

Lagusgus@gmail.com

Since the fast track started traffic is worst on the 110 no many people are using your fast track and cars with more than 2 passengers are using the regular lines incrementing traffic from 91 freeway all away to downtown, way to spend 290 million dollar !

Creaper15757

What about Motorcycles in the express lanes , fast trak , HOV are they exempt ?

http://socata.net Dana Gabbard

Bronwen Trice at metro informs me ” All motorists, including motorcycles, traveling on the Metro ExpressLanes are required to have a FasTrak transponder. However, motorcycles, eligible carpools and vanpools with a FasTrak will not be charged a toll to use the Metro ExpressLanes. Motorcycles need the FasTrak because the toll system needs a mechanism to distinguish when to charge a toll and when not to charge a toll. The Metro ExpressLanes switchable FasTrak will allow you to indicate the number of occupants in the vehicle by setting the switch on the transponder to the appropriate setting (1, 2, 3+). Motorcycles should always set the transponder to the “3+” position and keep the transponder in a secure location such as in a pocket or bag”

schleima

All vehicles, regardless of # of passengers, are obligated to have a device activated in their vehicle ANY TIME they are in an Express Lane.

There is a separate citation, entirely independent of the carpool violation, that motorists will receive if they are caught in an Express Lane without a transponder.

So yes, you can have a totally legitimate 3 person carpool and still get a ticket for not having a transponder. And if you’re an occasional carpooler like me, and don’t use the Express Lanes 4x per month, you’ll be charged an exorbitant $3/month “account maintenance fee”.

Ridiculous.

Eliminate the account maintenance fee and I’ll buy into the system. Otherwise, this is yet another California Tollyway that I’m locked out of entirely.

Joe B

Dear Bronwen Trice at Metro,
It’s actually very simple. If a motorcycle enters the express lane without a transponder, simply don’t charge the toll, just the same as you would do if the motorcycle had a transponder set to 3.

Chuckabbie

I drove on the 110 fwy. HOV lane last Wednesday with 3 passengers and now I’m scared that I will be getting a ticket in the mail because I don’t have the transponder. How does it work. So confused. Please help.

Which is why it will likely go away after the data is collected for a year.

Eloginolvidable

I don’t get it. On Fridays I go pick up my kids to Lynwood and before I used to use the Carpool I-110 fwy to avoid traffic but now I don’t use it no more cuz I’m afraid I would get a ticket. Do I need to get the #Transporter so I can use the #ExpressLanes again (Carpool Lanes)

Jjsjsj2js

yes, you can buy a pass on any Albertsons, Cosco, and i Raplhs

Blob

As an occasional carpooler, why should I have to pay $40 (or $32 or whatever) to get a transponder for free trips ? An maintenance fee? seriously? I would think people who don’t use it wouldn’t pay. nonsense.

Eight2178

Yep. I just got a “ticket” in the mail. Metro waived the violation fee and is charging just the $1.75 toll. I haven’t paid, I contested it on Metro’s website. It’s not the $1.75, that’s actually a fine I can afford! haha. It’s the fact that there was so little education to the drivers making them aware that they HAVE TO HAVE a transponder.

JH 90277

It’s all about $$$. If you don’t have it to give it away when before it was free, too bad!

Jh

I don’t get it. Car pooling was free before. Now, I got to pay for a transformer and pay a monthly fee if I don’t use it at least 4 times a month. Plus, there is all the hidden fine print where I am sure there are hidden fees! Please help me understand how by paying the fees will help LA traffic move smoother and faster on ALL LANES or is it only on express lanes? For now i think that if you cannot afford to pay the fees or just refuse to pay the fees because you feel you are being robbed legally, TOO BAD! I wonder who gets a little share of every dollar… please help me understand!!!

http://twitter.com/kneel28 Niall Huffman

The idea is that each solo driver buying his/her way into the Express Lanes is a driver who isn’t using the regular lanes. That’s the way it’s supposed to play out, at least. And yes, the $3 monthly fee for infrequent users is a pain. There aren’t any hidden fees beyond that, though. Metro has its shortcomings, but let’s give them their due: they’re not Chase or BofA.

Concerned citizen.

This is ridiculous. Carpool lanes were made from taxpayers money to benefit drivers when there driving with other people in their vehicle.

People who carpool should be outraged with our Maffia city officials and politicians to force you to purchase any kind of device.
The Maffia used to do this. When you opened a restaurant you had to pay a protection fee. In Los Angeles you have to purchase a device and establish an account in those roads that were built for carpoolers? We have what its called FREE WAY.
What is next? Will the people of Los Angeles have to pay for breathing air?
Sure sounds like it.

People should protest about this stupid idea.

Who are these politicians Mr. Mayor and city councils who allow this? Are they part of the new Maffia just like those city officials who voted for nearly a million dollar salary for themselves in the city of Bell?

And where all these fine will go? Fast Track didn’t built these roads from their money.
They little corrupted kick back system will fill our politicians pocket?

This needs to end. Los Angeles drivers need to recall all elected politicians who allowed this to happen. If not they just going to step un all of us.

If they want to charge for individuals to use the carpool lanes is one thing. But to force carpoolers to purchase anything it is a violation of many laws.

Concerned citizen

Could someone find out how much kick back our corrupted city officials and politicians received from this highway robbery?

Because no politician in their right mind who honest and represent the people would shove down something like this on taxpayers throat.

If the people of Los Angeles don’t complain about this publicly then I say they all deserve the unfair treatment they receive from this corrupted City government.

I am Upset.

Funny thing in Los Angeles

Illegal Aliens are not afraid to protest on the streets of Los Angeles if they don’t like something.

The American citizens just keep quiet and doing nothing about when they being pushed around.

Americans became a useless society and deserve every $H4It our politicians shoving down in our throat. Our corrupted politicians know the citizens of this city will allow all abuse and never complain about it.

Word On The Street

“...currently in Metro rail's budget 25% of that goes to security of the system. Not towards more service but security of the system. I wouldn't be so harsh and cynical about this had the Sheriff's been more visible at all Metro stations...”